The full text of the report submit ted by Mr. Arita at the House of Peers today regarding the negotia-flong between Japan and Great Britain over the Asama Maru incident follows:—"On February 1, in supplementary remarks to my address on Japan's foreign policy, I gave an outline of our negotiations with the British in earnest. our negotiations with a view {o effecting a speedy settlement ff, the as As a Fesult, although we have not yet arrived ata complete settlement, We have reached an important stage In that direction. 1 desire to avail myself of this occasion to report the progress so far achieved.
"As I have already' stated, the reply of the British Government to Our protest of January 22 was trans mitted to us through the British Ambassador, Sir Robert Craigie, Tokyo under the date of January 27. In their Note, the British Govern-mont expressed their great regret at the occurrence of the incident near our capital, which aroused such profound indignation of our nation, dnd at the same time, dwelt at length their legal opinions of the case, Japan's Reply "To this British Note, we replied under the date of February 1 that we took note with pleasure that the British Government was giving serious consideration to the fact that the incident had aroused public feet- 90k: {ing in Japan and had expressed their regret.
"At the same time, we made a detailed refutation of the British views from a legal stand point and requested the return of the 21" Germans taken off the Asma Maru because we could not but arrive at the conclusion that the action of the British man-o-wor was illegal under International law, "As. regards the divergence of views between the two Governments, all details will be made avalable. in official Notes to be published this afternoon. However, to give a resume of the matter, the British Government place an' interpretation of their own on Article 47 of the Declaration of London stipulating the category of enemy nationals who may. be taken off a neutral ship engaged in peaceful navigation on the high seas, and moreover, they contend that the said Declaration of London has no binding authorities whatever, as it thas not been ratified by signatory. power.
The practice to remove enemy: nationals ¢rom @ neutral ship engaged in peaceful navigation is, the British Government claim, an' established principle in international law.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.